Cerebral palsy symptoms in children decreased following massage therapy

Twenty young children (mean age = 32 months) with cerebral palsy (CP) recruited from early inter-vention programs received 30 minutes of massage or reading twice weekly for 12 weeks. The chil-dren receiving massage therapy showed fewer physical symptoms including reduced spasticity, less rigid muscle tone overall and in the arms, and improved fine and gross motor functioning. In addi-tion, the massage group had improved cognition, social and dressing scores on the Developmental Profile, and they showed more positive facial expressions and less limb activity during face-to-face play interactions. These findings suggest that massage therapy attenuates physical symptoms asso-ciated with CP, enhances development and should be considered as an early intervention for children with CP